This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Rum Cake and Christmas go together like peanut butter and jelly. Like peas and carrots. Like halloween and pumpkin. Like Valentine’s Day and chocolate. At least in my book. Rum cake always appears on the holiday dessert buffet and always is one of the desserts that disappears the quickest.
And this rum cake recipe that my friend, Ree includes in her newest cookbook, A Year of Holidays, will surely become a favorite, even for those folks that swear rum cake isn’t one of their favorites. Promise.
Even though we still have a few weeks to go before the Christmas parties officially begin, when I saw the rum cake recipe in Ree’s book, I knew I couldn’t wait to try it. Although, let me tell you, it was hard to decide which recipe I wanted to try first.
As with the recipes she shares in her other cookbooks, on her blog, and on television, they all are amazing. You certainly can’t go wrong with any of Ree’s recipes, in my opinion. Or my husband’s opinion. Or my son’s opinion. Hey, we’re a pretty opinionated bunch when it comes to recipes, ya know.
And this rum cake?
Well, just like I thought, it makes an easy, yet oh so elegant dessert that will be perfect for sharing with family and friends during your holiday entertaining as well as giving to neighbors as a gift.
If it makes it out of the house, that is. Talk about deeee-licious!!!
Here’s Ree’s Christmas Rum Pudding Cake Recipe. Believe me when I say, it will be a Christmas creation everyone will request!
Rum Pudding Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Rum Cake
- 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 3.4-ounce package vanilla cook-and-serve pudding mix
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup dark rum
For the Cake Glaze
- 3/4 cup 1 ½ sticks butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup dark rum
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325º F and thoroughly grease a Bundt pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar and chopped pecans in the bottom of the pan. This will serve as the topping of the cake when the cake is turned out of the pan.
- Add cake mix and pudding mix to the bowl of an electric mixer. Crack in the eggs and add water, canola oil, and rum, Mix the batter until it is smooth and totally combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a skewer or long toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake and removed. You can follow my tips for how to tell when your cake is done.
- When the cake has about 10 minutes remaining cooking time, make the glaze.
- Melt the butter and sugar together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Then add water and bring the mixture to a boil for 4 to 5 minutes, or until thick. Carefully add the rum to the mixture and cook for 1 more minute. (Take care when adding the alcohol to the mixture, especially if cooking over an open flame.)
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
- Use a skewer or long toothpick and poke holes all over the surface of the cake.
- Drizzle half the glaze over the surface of the cake, then let the cake sit for about 10 to 15 minutes to allow the cake to absorb the glaze.
- Carefully invert the cake onto a serving platter and very slowly drizzle the rest of the glaze over the top of the cake, giving the cake a chance to absorb as much as possible.
- Let the cake sit for a couple of hours to make sure it's really moist and rummy.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
Nutritional Information
Can I use spiced rum (golden color)?
Marcia, I haven’t tried this with spiced rum.
Best recipe ever, and now this is the cake everyone wants, with no special occasions!!
Jo, so glad everyone loves the cake. Thanks!
Let me just starts like this. Oh my Gosh! The cake was amazing everyone loved it definitely a hit. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe with us!
Amazing!!!! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe with us!
Thanks, Tacha. This is an amazing cake, isn’t it?
Hi! I accidentally purchased instant pudding. Do you know if I can use instant pudding in place of cook-and-serve? Thank you!
You can use the instant pudding mix, Elizabeth. Hope you enjoy the cake.
this recipe is always a hit when I make it, I substitute regular vanilla cook and serve for the French vanilla cook and serve. It taste even better when you use a quality dark rum like Seven Fathoms Dark Rum from the Cayman Islands!
Thanks, Eric. So glad you like this cake.